The present invention relates generally to mixer apparatus and more particularily to an improved hydraulically powered mixer apparatus especially useful for the mixing of fluent materials such as animal feed.
Various devices are presently used for the mixing of animal feeds in feedlot, farming and ranching operations, in order to provide a controlled and nutritionally balanced diet to the animals for optimum weight gain, and thereby profit to the producer and saving to the consumer. One such apparatus which has found notable use and success is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,605, which patent is owned by the assignee hereof. That feed mixer apparatus has enjoyed such considerable success in the mixing of such materials as grain, food supplements, silage, molasses, and other animal feeds to produce therefrom a homogenous mix ready for dispensing for animal consumption, all within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost to the meat producer both initially and in terms of maintenance costs.
That apparatus comprises a plurality of auger-like feed conveyors disposed in close and contoured relationship with the hopper wall, thereby to prevent packing of feed materials against the hopper wall. The feed conveyors thereof are provided with screw flights for channeling the mixed feed toward an area of mutual convergence, thereby to urge the feed mixture toward a feed dispenser apparatus disposed at one side of the hopper for ease of dispensing the feed into the feeding troughs. That apparatus may be mobile, whereby the mixing, conveying and feeding operation can be rendered yet more efficient and labor saving, further reducing costs.
Although that prior art feed mixer apparatus has found great commercial success, it has been desired to improve the apparatus to reduce further, the (albeit infrequent) maintenance required, and when required, to further reduce the cost of such maintenance. As the prior art device is driven by an internal combustion engine provided with a sprocket gear and chain drive, and that drive system was a component which did in time necessitate repair and/or maintenance, it has been desirable to develop a drive system which would materially alleviate those difficulties.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved feed mixer apparatus.
It is a further object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide hydraulic drive means for a feed mixer providing efficiency both in manufacture and in use.
It is a yet further object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide hydraulic drive means for a feed mixer with resultant savings in maintenance costs.
It is a yet further object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide a hydraulic drive unit which is of compact shape and suitable for mounting upon a preferably mobile feed hopper without substantially increasing the length of the bed thereof.
It is an additional object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide a synchronous drive between a valve rotor and a vertically disposed feed conveyor drive means.
It is also an object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide a V-shaped barrier within the cylinder activation chamber of the valve rotor to define a high pressure chamber.
It is also a further object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide delay means for timing the synchronous drive between the valve rotor and the crank arm to prevent high pressure drive to the extension chambers of the hydraulic cylinders while the crank arm is disposed in straight line relationship with a cylinder rod to prevent damage and/or excessive wear to the cylinder, the rod and/or the crank arm.
It is also yet a further object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide means within the hydraulic valve assembly, whereby for an initial period two chambers of the hydraulic cylinders are simultaneously open to high pressure drive thereby allowing smooth transition from low pressure to high pressure within a chamber whereby damage and/or excessive wear to the cylinder, cylinder rod and crank arm may be prevented.
It is also an additional object of the improved feed mixer apparatus of the present invention to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid reservoir means to permit supplementary hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic system during periods in the valve rotor cycle when two cylinder chambers are simultaneously open to high pressure drive.